Anti-Abortion Laws: Harming Women's Health And Rights

Anti-abortion laws hurt women in a multitude of ways. They restrict bodily autonomy, inflict a significant physical and mental burden, and disproportionately impact people of colour, transgender men, and non-binary people. Women who are denied abortions report higher stress and anxiety, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction. The denial of abortion care also affects women's economic security, as it impacts their education, earnings, and overall economic stability. Furthermore, anti-abortion laws contribute to unsafe conditions during and after pregnancy, with Black women and women of colour facing higher risks of severe maternal complications and death. The criminalization of abortion also leads to legal repercussions, as seen in the case of a Texas man who sued women for allegedly helping his ex-wife obtain abortion pills.

Anti-abortion laws disproportionately affect women of colour, transgender men, and non-binary people

In the United States, the abortion rate for Black women is almost five times that for white women. This disparity is not due to aggressive marketing by abortion providers to minority communities, as some anti-abortion activists claim, but rather because Black women are three times as likely as white women to experience an unintended pregnancy. This is due to difficulties in accessing high-quality contraceptive services and using their chosen method of birth control consistently and effectively over long periods of time.

Transgender men and non-binary people also face barriers to accessing abortion services. They already face discrimination in medical treatment, and the loss of federal abortion protections in the US has left this group with barriers that will be insurmountable for many. Trans people are more likely to struggle with poverty and job discrimination and often lack the financial resources to cover the procedure and the ballooning costs of travel. They are also more likely to face abuse, discrimination, and exclusion when seeking abortions.

The situation is even more difficult for Black trans people and other trans people of colour, who are often left with few or zero options. They are more likely to be mistreated, improperly diagnosed, or not listened to in doctors' offices and are often afraid to go to the doctor due to experiences of being misgendered and invasive questions.

Indigenous, Latina, and Asian women also face barriers to accessing abortion services. They are more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy and have higher abortion rates than white women.

They cause women to experience higher stress, anxiety, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction

Women who are denied abortions experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction.

A study by Biggs et al. found that women who were denied abortions initially reported lower self-esteem and life satisfaction than women who sought and obtained an abortion. The study followed 956 women who sought an abortion from 30 facilities across the USA. The study found that self-esteem and life satisfaction improved over time for all groups except those who obtained first-trimester abortions. The initially lower levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction among women denied an abortion improved more rapidly, reaching similar levels as those obtaining abortions at 6 months to one year after abortion seeking.

Another study, the Turnaway Study, followed nearly 1,000 women across 21 states for five years to examine the similarities and differences between those who wanted and received an abortion versus those who wanted but were denied an abortion. The women in the study who were denied an abortion reported more anxiety symptoms and stress, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction than those who received one.

They are often created and enforced by male-dominated legislatures

In the United States, a stark gender divide has emerged in the debates surrounding abortion laws. In Republican-led states such as West Virginia, Indiana, and South Carolina, male-dominated legislatures have advanced near-total abortion bans, with the support of a few Republican women holding office. This has resulted in protests, with young women taking to the streets to demand that decisions about their bodies are not made by middle-aged and elderly men.

In West Virginia, for example, 18 out of 134 lawmakers are women, and 13 of them, all Republicans, voted for the near-total abortion ban. A similar pattern can be seen in Indiana, where 35 out of 150 legislators are women, with 14 voting for the bill, and in South Carolina, where 29 out of 124 legislators are women, and 7 voted for the bans.

During the debates, male lawmakers have invoked their wives, daughters, and granddaughters, while female lawmakers in both parties have expressed frustration at the gender divide. The only Black lawmaker in the West Virginia Senate, Senator Owens Brown, highlighted the lack of representation among lawmakers, pointing out that they were making decisions for young women without having to face the same issues themselves.

The impact of these male-dominated legislatures is felt keenly by women, who are now facing restricted access to abortion services and increased anxiety about the privacy of their personal health information. This is especially true for women of color, who were already more likely to face surveillance and overcriminalization. As a result, women's health, well-being, and economic security are all at risk.

They can lead to unsafe conditions during and after pregnancy, especially for women of colour

Anti-abortion laws can lead to unsafe conditions during and after pregnancy, especially for women of colour. This is due to a variety of factors, including restricted access to healthcare, racial bias in medical care, and economic disparities.

Firstly, women of colour, particularly Black and Latina women, are more likely to face unsafe conditions during and after pregnancy due to restricted access to healthcare. This is a result of systemic racism and economic injustice, which cause women of colour to be disproportionately affected by abortion bans and legal restrictions. For example, in the United States, more than 15 million women of colour are harmed by state abortion bans, and people of colour make up more than 60% of those seeking abortions. Additionally, about half of those seeking abortions live below the federal poverty line, and women of colour experience some of the greatest economic inequities. The combination of restricted access to abortion and economic disparities creates a cycle of marginalization and denial of bodily autonomy for women of colour.

Secondly, racial bias in medical care contributes to unsafe conditions for women of colour during and after pregnancy. Research has shown that medical providers often fail to take the pain and health concerns of Black patients seriously due to racial bias. This results in Black women being less likely to receive timely and accurate diagnoses and treatment for conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic pain. The intersection of abortion restrictions and medical racism further diminishes the power and bodily autonomy of women of colour, as they are less likely to be believed when seeking abortions for medical reasons.

Lastly, women of colour, especially Black women, are more likely to experience severe maternal complications and death during and after pregnancy. Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than their White counterparts, and they face much higher rates of severe maternal complications. Additionally, women living in majority Hispanic communities also experience severe maternal complications at higher rates than those in majority-White communities. As a result, women of colour are more likely to require lifesaving abortions, such as in the case of ectopic pregnancies, which pose a threat to the mother's life.

The combination of restricted access to healthcare, racial bias in medical care, and economic disparities creates a perfect storm of unsafe conditions during and after pregnancy for women of colour. These factors disproportionately impact their health, well-being, and economic security, exacerbating existing inequities and denying them their right to bodily autonomy.

They can increase the risk of intimate partner violence

Anti-abortion laws can increase the risk of intimate partner violence in several ways. Firstly, they are associated with a greater risk of men perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV) against their female partners. This is because men who perpetrate IPV are more likely to report being involved in pregnancies that end in abortion and to exhibit controlling behaviours around abortion-related decisions. This includes attempting to restrict or promote abortions by their female partners.

Secondly, anti-abortion laws can make it more difficult for women to leave abusive relationships. Studies have shown that women often seek abortions to leave abusive relationships or avoid bringing children into them. Abortion restrictions may therefore increase the risk of intimate partner homicide among women and girls of reproductive age.

Thirdly, anti-abortion laws can lead to reproductive coercion, which is strongly correlated with intimate partner violence. Reproductive coercion involves a range of behaviours that interfere with decision-making related to reproductive health, such as pregnancy coercion, birth control sabotage, and controlling the outcome of a pregnancy. For example, a partner may pressure or threaten a woman to have an abortion or impregnate her against her will. Reproductive coercion can also occur in the absence of physical or sexual violence and is considered a serious public health issue.

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